Church leaders in the Episcopal Diocese want their congregation to know COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.

The Episcopal Diocese has over 60 congregations and five schools in the state of Oklahoma.  

With this second uptick in COVID-19 cases, leaders said it was their moral obligation to spread the message that the vaccine is safe and effective.

“Get the vaccine out of love for our neighbor,” Bishop Poulson Reed said.

The Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma will be releasing videos on their social media pages talking about the COVID-19 vaccine and why they chose to get vaccinated.

“Think about this from the moral point of view, which is that every one of us has that opportunity to protect others,” Reed said.

As hospitals in the state become overwhelmed and the Delta variant continues to spread, Reed said it’s time for church leaders to make their voices heard.

“To speak out loudly and to speak out clearly that we can protect those who are around us by getting the vaccine that it is safe and that it is effective,” Reed said.

Reed hopes the Food and Drug Administration’s recent approval of the Pfizer vaccine convinces some members of his congregation of its safety.

“We believe strongly that when we get this vaccine that has been so carefully vetted and tested that we have the opportunity to protect those vulnerable children that are back in school those vulnerable elderly who may be around us and of course to protect ourselves,” Reed said.

While getting vaccinated is a personal choice, Reed has a message to those who are using the religious exemption to not get vaccinated.

“As people of faith, we should be getting it rather than avoiding getting it,” Reed said. “We believe that the love of neighbor encourages us to do everything we can.”

The church is offering rides to members of their congregation who want to get vaccinated.